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There are few, if any, frontman quite like our friend, Axl Rose. Here is a monumental 28+ minute compilation of his on stage meltdowns in response to rowdy fans throwing objects at or spitting on the band. This is pure unintentional comedy. What frontman routinely brings songs to a sudden halt during a show?

It’s cute when he asks for an interpreter but they do not end up translating the English cuss words. Also, check out Axl‘s highly entertaining rant about James Hetfield not being a fan of black people and Lars being Lars at the 15:00 mark.

Sweden’s TRIBULATION took a big step with 2015’s Children of the Night. Their new one, Down Below, continues where its predecessor left off with a sound focused on incorporating traditional heavy metal, gothic rock/metal, and bigger riffs onto their Swedish death metal foundation. The band continue to capitalize on the fundamentals that “feel” and atmosphere resonate deeper with fans.

TRIBULATION have improved in key areas. First, they improved at creating spacing within each song for each instrument to have its own distinctive voice. For much of Down Below, each member is playing different parts coupled with plenty of twists and turns in each song, which creates the air of musicality. Throw in pianos and synth effects (i.e. tolling bells) and you’ve got plenty of ear candy through out Down Below. Please note that Johannes Andersson (vocals/bass) is an excellent bassist that makes a significant contribution with his playing. Rarely is he simply playing the same riffs as rhythm guitars.

Speaking of dynamics and song structure, TRIBULATION aim higher to make each song an experience. A song like “Lacrimosa” has a great bridge that feels like a haunted graveyard during the witching hour, which then takes off into a great guitar solo and eventually ends with quiet pianos.

Unfortunately, just like Children of the Night, Down Below loses momentum after the first few songs. Both albums are sequenced in a similar fashion with the “big” songs at the top and the more subdued, melancholic songs thereafter. While none of the latter on Down Below are necessarily bad, they simply aren’t as exciting as the former. Thus, the album just kind of ends on a quiet note.

Overall, TRIBULATION are on the upswing and will undoubtedly only get bigger from here. And in doing so, they are keeping the flame of Swedish death metal alive. (Century Media Records)

While Oslo, Norway’s SATYRICON are not calling it quits, they have announced that they will tour the U.S. for the final time in support of their latest album, Deep calleth upon Deep. The band have not had the easiest time bringing over their regular live band with drummer Frost missing tours.

“As our U.S fans will have noticed, we haven’t toured there in nine years. There are many reasons for that. I like America and I like Americans, but unfortunately touring there has been a difficult chapter in the history of SATYRICON. I can’t guarantee what the future holds, but we did not go on the last record, so I am hoping that one final headlining tour can be a good way of sharing some electric musical moments with our U.S fans, whom we love just as much as all our other fans across the world”, states main man Satyr.

The tour starts May 13th in Los Angeles, CA and runs through May 30th in Austin, TX with two stops in Canada. INQUISITION will provide support on the tour. Click here for dates. Needless to say, this tour is not to be missed.

Dependability is crucial to any band’s fanbase and 2017 did not disappoint. All of the bands that we’ve come to depend on for great music more or less delivered the goods. One band stood out to us all were the death metal gods from Yonkers, New York, IMMOLATION. They continue to stand as a pillar for metal with their unending well of creativity and longevity. Atonement blew us away with its complexity, ominous atmosphere, and inventive brutality.

In grindcore, there is a holy triumvirate: NAPALM DEATH, TERRORIZER, and LOCK UP. It’s no coincidence that all three bands are related in history and members. LOCK UP does the most in terms of honoring the legacy of the other two bands while sounding, arguably, the most fresh overall.

So should you care about the fourth album from a band, one that is essentially a side project, in their 18th year of existence? The answer is a definitive “yes.” Demonization is all about godly riffs, intensity, and most important, excitement. The feeling of a speeding training flying off the rails is invigorating. Right from the start, the album starts rolling and never stops until the final note. It’s unfair to single out songs to be highlighted as they are all of equal quality. Just listen to the whole thing.

While underground metal super groups have become so common and often fail to live up to their hype, the gang of Shane Embury, Kevin Sharp, Nick Barker, and Anton Reisenegger are unequivocally delivering the goods. Without a doubt, Demonization is one of 2017’s best releases.

Bow down to LOCK UP or be damned to a life of subpar grindcore. (Listenable Records)

Six years ago MORBID ANGEL released their most anticipated and ultimately most disappointing album, Illud Divinum Insanus. Instead of the album being a return to the Domination-era sound or a continuation of the very obscure, Heretic, the band experimented with industrial, hardcore, and even rock influences. Well, fans should be happy, and perhaps relieved, to know that Kingdoms Disdained is a return to pure death metal.

With the perpetually underrated Steve Tucker back in the fold, MORBID ANGEL have their best album since Formulas Fatal to the Flesh and Gateways to Annihilation. Former guitarist Erik Rutan handled the production. New drummer Scott Fuller does a solid job.

With full mastery and power, the band goes into full attack mode from the first note on “Piles of Little Arms.” The riff that kicks in late at the 2:50 mark is godly. “D.E.A.D.” is intentionally discordant, schizophrenic and suffocating.

The momentum of Kingdoms Disdained then falls too much into a plodding pace and tone. The riffing is overly busy without strong hooks. There are dynamics but they don’t possess enough charisma and power to excite. “Garden of Disdain” is essentially a little brother to “Where the Slime Live.” Things continue to lose a bit of momentum with “The Righteous Voice” as the fast song sections are the only parts that keep it afloat. Stand out riffs shake the plodding such as the song section that kicks in at the 3:37 mark of “The Pillars Crumbling.” “Declaring New Law” is essentially a war chant. It is the simplest and most straight forward track.

The action picks back up with “From the Hand of Kings” as the band focuses on what works well on the album, speed and brutality, as shallow as that may sound. Closing track, “The Fall of Idols,” is gloriously intense and momentous. Trey Azagtoth‘s guitar solo at the end is the sound of a behemoth falling to earth.

At the end of the day, Kingdoms Disdained is a good but not great album. The magic moments are too few and far between for a band of MORBID ANGEL‘s legendary status. (Silver Lining)

LA extreme metallers, ABYSMAL DAWN, have signed up with France-based, Season of Mist. The follow up to the excellent Obsolescence should be another great step forward for the band.

ABYSMAL DAWN comment: “We’re very happy to be signed to such an awesome and respected label like Season of Mist. The people there are all die-hard metalheads and we’re glad to be a part of such an enthusiastic and strong team. We also have a long-standing friendship with US label manager Gordon Conrad, who originally signed us. Working with Gordon, Michael, and the other amazing people at the label was just a no-brainer. We’re very excited about the future of ABYSMAL DAWN these days, and judging by the new material that we’ve been working on, some great things are to come soon enough.”

Monolithis one of those records that many have heard “of” but have never actually “heard.” Now thirty years old, it’s a record that still remains largely unmasked. Dissonance Productions looks to change that with the North American re-introduction to one of crust punk’s most prolific albums.

It ultimately would be the last recording by the band for more than 20 years; founder Rob “Baron” Miller with brother Chris “Stig” Miller, and Spider splitting up shortly after the album’s release.

AMEBIXare credited as being the godfathers of crust. Formed while still in grade school, the band’s “break” came in 1984 when they met DEAD KENNEDY’s vocalist Jello Biafra. The band became Biafra’s first UK signing to his label, Alternative Tentacles.

Relapse Records is proud to announce the official signing of extreme metal act EXPULSION. The newly formed group features members of REPULSION, EXHUMED, PHOBIA, INTRONAUT, GRUESOME and numerous others. The band has shared the full details of their debut album Nightmare Future due out July 14th on CD/LP/Digital. Hear the track “Altar of Slaughter”: